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The Child Life Zone at Children’s Minnesota

Minnesota

The Child Life Zone at Children’s Minnesota

The Child Life Zone at Children’s Minnesota is overflowing with adventure, enthusiasm, and smiles! This therapeutic and educational environment offers patients and families daily opportunities to engage in theme-based art activities, laugh and express themselves by creating souvenir photos in the Zone’s photo booth center, and socialize while playing bubble hockey, basketball, air hockey, and board games. The newly designed Zone Speedway, an outdoor remote control racetrack, is a popular attraction for all ages. Kids can explore state-of-the-art technology through the Smart Table and media wall with various gaming systems. Quieter activities include story time and reading in the library area, where book check-outs are available. Another appealing feature of the Zone is the Star Studio performance space that broadcasts live interactive television shows. Patients and siblings are thrilled either to play a part in live performances in the studio, or to use the call-in option from their rooms.

While serving as a valuable place for child life interventions, music therapy, horticulture, pet therapy, and expressive arts, the Zone is host to a wide variety of special events with visits from musicians, athletes, artists, celebrities, animals from the Minnesota Zoo, and other community supporters. From super hero window washers, to celebrations with professional sports teams, to the annual Minnesota State Fair get-together, patients and families are able to enjoy an exciting array of activities to enhance coping during their hospital experiences. Through every Child Life Zone interaction, our mission is clear: Kids First!

Stephanie Smith

Stephanie Smith is a Certified Child Life Specialist with a Master of Arts Degree in Education. Her professional career began in the public school system, where she taught fourth grade. She also provided support with technology integration for K-5 classrooms and worked within the Gifted Education Program. As a former college soccer player and youth athletics coach, Stephanie has a strong interest in sports and is involved with promotions and game production for several local professional sports teams.

At Children’s Minnesota, Stephanie has served a variety of patient populations with a focus on integrative medicine, diabetes, medical/surgical and the emergency department. She has also shared her knowledge and experience by presenting at two of the Child Life Council’s National Conferences. Through her role as Child Life Zone Coordinator, she combines her professional background, skills, and passion for innovation as she strives to offer opportunities and support for patients and families to empower them during their health care journey.

A Child Life Zone is a state-of-the-art, therapeutic play area inside a hospital where pediatric patients and their families can play, learn, laugh, and relax. A sanctuary. A place to learn. A hang-out. A game center. A place to be the star of your own show. A place to connect. A place where a kid can be a kid.

Each zone is staffed by child life specialists, certified professionals who help children and their families cope with difficult medical challenges through play, education, and self-expression. Child life specialists teach patients about their illness and what to expect during treatment, and they provide support to patients and their families before, during, and after procedures.

At each of Teammates for Kids’ Child Life Zones, we’ve learned that it’s not enough to simply raise the money to build and open the zone. As with any other property, we need to have the resources to support the ongoing quality and programming within each zone, ensuring the long-term viability of these special places. Each zone must be maintained and updated to keep it functioning as a top-notch facility, with the latest technology, offering the best experience to the kids.

A Zone Angel is an individual or family in the local community who believes in the good work that goes on at the zone, and decides to make a 10-year financial commitment to maintaining that particular zone. For more information on becoming a Zone Angel, contact Jason Grahame.